Toowoomba bishop in call for ordination dialogue

Published: 08 January 2007

Telling a Brisbane newspaper that he was grieved that he could not ordain women or married men to the priesthood, Toowoomba Bishop William Morris has expressed hope for a change in Church policy through "dialogue".

However, Bishop Morris also said he would not ordain people against the teachings of the Catholic Church, according to Brisbane's Courier-Mail.

"If we keep dialoguing our understanding will grow," he said.

"I may not see it in my lifetime but the children of this age may see it.

"I would ordain married men as priests if I could. Most bishops in the world would agree but we can ordain only single, celibate males by decree of the church since the 14th century."

In a pastoral letter to his diocese, Bishop Morris, 63, called on parishes to keep talking about alternative models of ministry.

The diocese was challenged by the ageing of its priests, most of whom would be eligible for retirement by 2014, leaving only six priests out of the full complement of 40, he said.

A Brisbane Archdiocese spokesperson told the Courier-Mail that Archbishop John Bathersby's views would not differ from Rome and that ordination of women was not on the table for discussion.